alhaddad.org

Habib Umar speaking in an event organized by The Radical Middleway in 2008 titled “Do we need a common word?” (click here to view entire event).

A Common Word is an initiative to build bridges with other faiths endorsed by many scholars from the east and west. Below is an excerpt from their official website.

On October 13th 2006, one month to the day after Pope Benedict XVI’s Regensburg address of September 13th 2006, 38 Islamic authorities and scholars from around the world, representing all denominations and schools of thought, joined together to deliver an answer to the Pope in the spirit of open intellectual exchange and mutual understanding. In their Open Letter to the Pope (see english.pdf), for the first time in recent history, Muslim scholars from every branch of Islam spoke with one voice about the true teachings of Islam.
Exactly one year after that letter, on October 13th 2007 Muslims expanded their message. In A Common Word Between Us and You, 138 Muslim scholars, clerics and intellectuals have unanimously come together for the first time since the days of the Prophet r to declare the common ground between Christianity and Islam. Like the Open Letter, the signatories to this message come from every denomination and school of thought in Islam. Every major Islamic country or region in the world is represented in this message, which is addressed to the leaders of all the world’s churches, and indeed to all Christians everywhere.

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source:these notes were taken by sister sumaira uk. It is  originally a 4 part post which has been combined here. Jazak Allah Khairan to the sisters who made these notes available at HalaqaOnline.

Part 1

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The book that Habib Umar went through is called ‘The Summary of the way to Allah’
It explains various parts of deen which are interconnected as the author who wrote the text had mastered various topics. The author is Habib Abdur-Rahman bin Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Al-Faqih Muhammad Ba’Alawi (taken from the front cover of the Arabic book).

Habib Umar mentioned how he had authored this book and sent it to scholars in Makkah at the age of just 31 years, they had sought ijaza from him but he refrained out of adab, eventually he gave his ijaza in the form of a poem. He had knowledge of many topics such as chemistry, physics, biology, geology and agriculture.

If we study the book properly what we gain is realisation Insha’Allah so we should attend with our hearts and direct ourselves towards Allah.

The book starts by ‘Bismillah’ and praising Him and His Messenger salalahu alaiyhi wasalam. The aim of the text follows this. Allah has made a symbol with ‘Bismillah’ – He has joined the 2 names of Ar-Rahman (The Compassionate i.e. He has great mercy) and Ar-Raheem (The Merciful i.e. He is constant and continuous in mercy), which shows His mercy outweighs His wrath. We should begin with Allah’s mercy, He has allowed us to begin all our affairs in His name and the believers should make it a habitual practice to mention Allah’s name before anything. Mentioning ‘bismillah’ in eating, drinking and whatever you do fends evil, and the good is blessed and increased. ‘Bismillah La illaha illahu’ (In the name of Allah, there is no God but Allah) – devils cannot partake in any of these actions by saying bismillah and it puts a veil between jinn and us and hides our nakedness from them. Everyone on earth does these actions such as eating and drinking in the name of their own desires but we do it by the name of Allah. Hence we should feel the greatness of this phrase and we should be avid to say His name.

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Extremism
What causes some of the youth to hold extremist views?
I believe that this goes back to people taking the religion without insight and to them understanding legal rulings in a way that is cut off from the chain of transmission,[1] or in other words taking knowledge from those who are not worthy of transmitting it. Ibn Sirin is recorded as saying in Sahih Muslim: “This knowledge is religion so beware of whom you take your religion from.” He also said: “The chain of transmission is part of the religion and had it not been for it anyone could have said whatever they wished to say.” With the loss of the chain of transmission we find distorted understandings of the Sacred Law and its rulings. There arises a vacuum which allows for the entrance of the desires of the lower self such that an individual’s religion becomes based on incorrect foundations. Because of this he may go against the religion while thinking he is serving it or obeying the orders of Allah the Exalted.
I believe one of the biggest causes of extremism is that these youth are cut off from the sources of knowledge which are only accessible through the chain of transmission. Some people wish to make their understanding of the Book and the Sunna the Book and the Sunna whereas it is fact only their own understanding. This narrow understanding causes them to look negatively at other Muslims, leads to discord and, if taken to an extreme, to them making lawful the killing of others. With the existence of such groups a Muslim who desires to reach Allah should not make his religion a basis of enmity or a cause of conflict between him and anyone else. The religion of Allah in its correct form is founded upon looking upon the creation in an expansive way and upon showing mercy and compassion to the believers. Anyone who follows the true path increases in humility to Allah and in showing etiquette towards Him out of fear of Him. Such a person feels that his heart increases in illumination and insight and he finds tranquillity in remembering Allah. The true attributes of a believer then become clearly manifest within him.
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Habib Abdullah Alhaddad qasidas sung by Shyakh Abdul Hakim Murad, Habib Umar Bin Hafidh and friends during the “A Common Word” gathering – Oct 2008

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  Lamiyyat Al Ziyara

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Ala Ya Sah

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